THE excitement is reaching fever pitch ahead of Wyedean Years and Years chart-topper Olly Alexander taking to the Eurovision stage in Malmo to represent the UK tonight in front of a TV audience of 160 million.

His former schools St Johns CofE Academy in Coleford and Monmouth Comprehensive School have both sent messages of support, and his mum Vicki – who is in Sweden to cheer him on – has even had her nails painted with Dizzy in reference to his song.

Coleford townspeople have hung out flags and installed a life-size cut out for fans to have a selfie with, with a Eurovision Watch on the giant screen planned for the Studio Cinema tonight.

Olly says the support from back home has "blown my mind".

And local youngsters are rooting for him, with St John's going full on Eurovision this week ahead of the 68th contest, decorating the school, singing medeys of former winning songs, hanging up flags and tucking in to Swedish grub like meat balls.

Headteacher Joanne Peaper, who taught the 34-year-old, in the 1990s and early 2000s told the BBC: "Olly was always one of our high achievers here at St John's, I taught him in a small English group.

"While he was here he started writing the lyrics to some of his very early music.

"He's an excellent role model for all of our children here at St John's, I don't think they can actually believe someone who came here has achieved so much.

"From talking to other colleagues who taught Olly, I think they always knew he would go on to do something like this. Good luck Olly!"

And teacher Bernadette Lee said: "It's just exciting for the children to see where someone at St John's can get to.

"I know teaching assistants have mentioned he was really good in school performances, and you could see the potential when he was at St John's."

Pupil Cameron, nine, added: "I listen to Dizzy quite a lot, it's a really good song.

"I'm just quite shocked Olly has come from St John's.

"He's a good role model for all of the children at St John's right now, and it shows everyone what kids can do."

Monmouth Comprehensive, whose junior students will be performing Guys And Dolls this summer, which Olly starred in while at school, have also sent their support, saying: "Good luck to former MCS student Olly Alexander, who will be representing the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday. We’ll be cheering you on!”

Mum Vicki, a co-founder of the Coleford Music Festival which Olly has performed in, told the BBC of his home town's backing: "It's so heartwarming and it means a lot, it really, really does.

"Olly's been touched by the support the whole town's given, it's fantastic. And he's ready, he's ready."

He'll be performing Dizzy inside a mocked-up gymnasium shower room, surrounded by four male dancers in red boxing gear.

And thanks to some clever camera work, the room appears to spin, with Olly bouncing off the walls and dancing on the ceiling.

Olly, who starred in hit AIDS-era drama It's A Sin and even had a cameo apperance in EastEnders last week, told the BBC from Sweden: "There are bars built into the sides of the walls. "Sometimes a dancer will grab one and turn themselves upside down, so that their feet are on the ceiling – but when the camera flips it looks like they’re still on the floor.

"I didn’t make things easy for myself. But on my last tour, I did a couple of songs on a treadmill. So I'm used to having a challenge.

"I've tried to just embrace the madness of the whole process, really," he says of Eurovision.

"It's teaching me a lot about fame and celebrity. I would never have experienced anything like this if I hadn't entered."

And regardless of where he finishes, he said: "I just want to deliver something that I can look back on in years to come and go, ‘I did that’."

Eurovision is on BBC One from 8pm tonight (Saturday, May 11).